College football's three most aggressive coaches in transfer portal

Like it or not, the transfer portal has become a major part of college football. And no coach in the country has used it more in recent years than Colorado's Deion Sanders.

That said, some coaches and programs have adapted to the transfer portal better than others. But while the transfer portal can cause coaches extra stress, they can also use it to their advantage.

Recently, On3.com posed a question asking which coach is the "GOAT" of the transfer portal. To that end, let's look at the three most active coaches in the transfer portal in recent years.

Deion Sanders | Colorado

The football legend from his time as a player, both in college at Florida State and then throughout a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, instantly started using the transfer portal as a version of NFL free agency since taking over the Buffaloes in 2023.

Sanders, or "Coach Prime" as he likes to be called, swapped out half of his roster throughout this offseason. Since the end of the 2023 season, Colorado has seen 44 players depart, oftentimes after being told to leave, and added 41 through the portal. Those numbers still pale in comparison to the 55 exits and 50 additions from Sanders' first year with Colorado.

Of course, Sanders must win to truly gain the respect as a coach that he covets. After a 3-0 start in 2023, Colorado cratered and finished the season at 4-8.

Lane Kiffin | Mississippi

The always outspoken Kiffin — now entering his fifth year as head coach at Ole Miss, where he is 36-17 (counting bowls) — has adapted his roster-building strategy by looking to the transfer portal.

As part of Kiffin's case, whether he wants the honor or not, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt labeled him the "Transfer Portal King" in May. Klatt's reasoning stems from Kiffin having a top-ranked transfer class three years straight, according to 247Sports . He brought in 24 transfers this offseason.

While Sanders is still hoping for his portal work to result in success on the field, Kiffin is coming off his best season in years, leading the Rebels to 11 wins and a Peach Bowl victory.

Dan Lanning | Oregon

Backed by boosters such as Nike founder Phil Knight, Lanning has the resources to offer to elite players.

Lanning has taken advantage of his situation at Oregon to the tune of 14 transfer additions in 2024, including former Central Florida/Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel, the presumptive starter for the Ducks this season.

But no transfer player has meant more to Lanning than quarterback Bo Nix, who jumped from Auburn to Oregon in 2022. Nix was drafted with the No. 12 overall pick by the Denver Broncos.

With the Ducks on the heels of a Fiesta Bowl title, many point to the portal as to why Oregon can compete for national championships under Lanning.

Per FanDuel , the Ducks have the third-best odds to win the national championship this season, behind Georgia and Ohio State.